The Miami Dolphins’ season, which had so much promise at the beginning, ended in yet another sad early departure. They broke NFL records in September when they defeated the Denver Broncos with 70 points. The Dolphins scored forty points in their final three games; they lost to the Baltimore Ravens in the de facto game to secure the first seed in the playoffs, the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East, and the Kansas City Chiefs in the Wild Card game.
As if that weren’t enough, the Dolphins now own the dual disgrace of having the longest active playoff losing streak in the NFL and the longest gap without a postseason victory after the Detroit Lions’ thrilling 24-23 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Yes, even the New York Jets, who (2010) have the longest NFL postseason drought, have won six postseason games since Miami’s last victory.
When did the Dolphins last win a postseason game?
You have to travel back to December 30, 2000, during Wild Card weekend. The current running back for the Dolphins, Devon Achane, was not born, Destiny’s Child had the top single on the Billboard charts, and Bill Clinton was still the president of the United States.
With :34 remaining in regulation, the Dolphins mounted a late comeback and scored the game-tying touchdown on a Jay Fiedler pass to Jed Weaver, cutting Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts’ lead to 14-0 at the half.
Colts kicker Mike Vanderjagt failed to convert a game-winning 49-yard field goal in overtime. Instead of receiving 4th and 1 at Miami’s 31, the Colts turned down an offside penalty that would have awarded them 3rd and 7 at Miami’s 37. Miami completed a 209-yard running effort with a 17-yard touchdown run by Lamar Smith as they marched down the field. The final score of 23-17 was the Dolphins’ only lead.
How long has the Dolphins been losing in the playoffs?
Miami’s postseason losing streak now stands at six games following last Saturday’s crushing in chilly Kansas City. The majority of their losses have been non-competitive, which is a recurring pattern.
- 2000 AFC Divisional Round: 0-27 at Oakland Raiders
- 2001 AFC Wild Card: 3-20 at Baltimore Ravens
- 2008 AFC Wild Card: 9-27 vs. Baltimore Ravens
- 2016 AFC Wild Card: 12-30 at Pittsburgh Steelers
- 2022 AFC Wild Card: 31-34 at Buffalo Bills
- 2023 AFC Wild Card: 7-26 at Kansas City Chiefs
(Those Raiders, incidentally, have gone winless in the playoffs for the second-longest period of time, at 21 years.)
Six (six!) touchdowns have been scored by the Dolphins, half of which came against the Bills in the previous campaign. With third-stringer Skylar Thompson replacing the injured Teddy Bridgewater and Tua Tagovailoa in the third quarter, Miami briefly led Buffalo, but the lead was fleeting. The driving attempt to win the game late in the game never made it into Buffalo territory.
With the exception of the Steelers, Miami’s offense was unable to accumulate 300 total yards, and even that was only accomplished on the very last garbage time snap. Miami has led for fewer than thirty minutes out of a possible 360 minutes of play.
What is the record for the most straight postseason losses ever?
The Lions have now lost nine games in a row, a record that dates back an astounding 32 years. The Cincinnati Bengals ended a 31-year, eight-game postseason drought three seasons ago when they won the AFC Championship. Before winning the 2015 Wild Card game against the Houston Texans, the Kansas City Chiefs also went through an eight-game losing streak.
Miami will have the fourth-longest playoff losing streak in the league’s history if it loses its next playoffs game.
The fact that Miami made it to the postseason in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2000 and 2001 under Dave Wannstedt—the previous head coach to lead Miami to a postseason victory—is a positive omen for fans of the Dolphins.
Although Miami’s head coach Mike McDaniel is off to a promising start, the team won’t be considered a legitimate playoff contender unless it makes major progress in its regular season record against teams who can compete in the postseason.
The team that has gone the furthest without a postseason victory is the Cincinnati Reds. From the 1990 NLCS, they have not prevailed in a postseason series. They prevailed in two of the five games in their divisional series in 2012.